ARBIL, Iraq - Iraq's Kurdish region, usually one of Washington's closest friends in the region, on Saturday attacked the United States for green-lighting a Turkish incursion onto its territory.
"We place responsibility for the military operations on the US government because without its consent Turkey would not be allowed to violate the land and air sovereignty of Iraq," said regional government spokesman Falah Mustafa.
"The regional government condemns these military operations and the air bombing targeting infrastructure," he said.
The Arbil-based regional government has demanded "an immediate Turkish retreat from the Kurdish region of Iraq. The problem will not be solved militarily, but rather by peaceful means," Mustafa said.
He insisted that the regional government has taken measures to stop the activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.
The PKK, blacklisted by Ankara and much of the international community as a terrorist organisation, has been fighting for self-rule in southeast Turkey since 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 37,000 lives.
"The regional government offers no support whatsoever to the PKK, and has taken a series of measures to limit its activities in the region," he said.
Mustafa called for a "direct dialogue between Ankara, Washington and Arbil to find a solution to this problem."
Iraq has protested against the operation, Turkey's second incursion into its southern neighbour in three months.
The Turkish army's general staff said on Friday that at least 24 rebels and five of its soldiers have been killed in clashes.
The PKK, blacklisted by Ankara and much of the international community as a terrorist organization, has been fighting for self-rule in southeast Turkey since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed more than 37,000 lives.
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